A Mother's Secret
by Madelena Rossi
Summary: What is the real story behind Mary Salvatore and what became of her? Is it possible Giuseppe's hatred of Damon had a basis in jealousy? And was there a chance for this family to be reunited?
1. Chapter 1

MADELENA

How is it possible to own so much guilt over a secret that wasn't even mine? This secret should have come out years ago, when it could have ameliorated so much of his pain. Now I wonder if it is too late to undo the damage done to him. Finding out the truth now may just cause more grief instead of a lessening.

I remember the first time I saw the girl, and a girl she was. Raven hair tumbling over an ivory shoulder, unwilling to be tamed into the elaborate and sedate style of the times. Her smile was infectious and pulled in even the most morose party guest. Hanging as I was on a silver chain around her neck, I could feel the bubbly laughter that she could not contain even with all the scowling prudes attempting to tamp down her nature. She refused to be cowed and I admired her from the moment I was placed upon her skin.

I was a gift, you see, from her betrothed. An arranged marriage that never should have been proposed by a proud Papa who wished to see his daughter connected with the most prominent family in their new town. A Papa who had been willfully ignoring the furtive glances and lingering touches between his pride and one much below her station. He didn't realize the carefree girl had already given her heart to another and not to the cold man who would eventually marry her. A marriage that could have broken the girl if not for the gift she brought to it.

She wore me to the stables the morning after the engagement party and I saw him for the first time. I instantly knew the marriage she was cursed to would bring her nothing but pain, because this simple stable hand loved her with more warmth and passion than her husband-to-be would ever be able to muster except in anger. It was obvious the two had been meeting secretly for weeks, but this morning I bore witness the consummation of their love. Along with the downstairs maid.

Her father sent the man off to purchase horses at auction and hired a murderer to ensure he would never return from his quest. News of his death broke the spirit that had seemed impenetrable and so she entered the marriage with a bruised heart, soon to be followed by bruised skin. The light only returned to her eyes when she discovered a part of her lost love was inside of her and how she adored that child. Raven locks as wild as hers, but eyes as blue as the sky she lay under when making love in the meadow with her true heart.

She vowed to protect him from the harsh words and angry hands of her husband and would have been successful if not for the arrival of a second son, who would never know the mother who loved fiercely and completely. She passed on to another place, one not of the eternal grave, yet one not appropriate for small children who she assumed would be safe within her family. She gravely underestimated the amount of hate a grown man could have for a child free from the sins of his mother, but assigned to pay the price in her steed.

I have watched that boy grow into a man who forever doubts his capacity for love based upon the father who isn't even his. He and his brother eventually met the same fate as their mother...and that of the smirking boy's real father. But I am the only one left standing with all the pieces of the puzzle. Would putting them together help heal the wounds of a little boy, or would I only open scars so long scabbed over?

And so here I sit. Burdened with knowledge and a love that consumes me. Waiting for the answer to come.


	2. Chapter 2

REBEKAH

I was travelling on my own in those days, my Nik having gone to Europe on some adventure or another that hadn't interested me in the least. A human woman would never have been able to travel alone, so I compelled myself a couple groomsmen and a lady's maid to accompany me on my quest. My quest, you ask? It was very simple, you see. I wished to find if there was any reason for me to continue on this immortal existence or if life was just too unbearable anymore and I should end it all. Dreadfully dramatic I was in those days.

It was on this journey I happened to travel through Virginia and had stopped at some tavern for the evening. A place a lady of my stature should never have been seen in, but I just didn't care anymore. I sat at the bar extolling the virtues of remaining a spinster and how I never wished to be as stupid as the poets who wrote sentimental pablum about love and eternity while never truly grasping the enormity of either, when the deep rumble of a laugh beside me caught my attention. Turning to glare at the man who dared to mock me, I looked into the bluest eyes I had ever seen. At first I couldn't decide if I would bed him before tearing out his heart, when he began to speak.

He told of his love for a lady that could never be his, but instead of longing and regret there was nothing but joy for at least having had the chance to love her at all. He spoke in terms of single moments and stolen hours, while I was determined to wallow in years and centuries. He wished to run away with her and had already made inquiries into jobs in the land that was opening up out west. He knew his dreams may never be, but he dreamt nonetheless. And her loved her. Even when I compelled him to speak nothing but the truth, there was love in every syllable. A simple man with no promise of tomorrow and he had peace on a level I had never imagined. Moved beyond words, I pressed a broach in his hands, one which would easily bankroll his new life. Wishing him well, I watched him exit the tavern and almost felt some hope in my own heart.

Later, as I strolled along the lane back to the Inn where I was spending the night, I heard a gurgled plea and smelt the aroma of fresh-spilt blood. Approaching curiously, I found the man from earlier lying in a tangle of broken limbs and torn flesh. My brain would not process that his life could end before he had a chance to put into play his plan for happiness. Every nerve in my body was on fire, rejecting this preposterous outcome. He knew love! He believed! Without hesitating, I bit into my wrist and pressed it to his gasping mouth. In the moments before he died, I knew I would teach him the ways to survive as one of the immortals. I would prepare him for this life before sending him back to his love to claim her.

Back to Mystic Falls.


	3. Chapter 3

MADELENA

Sitting on the porch overlooking the garden, my mind drifts back to the years following that fateful marriage. Never was a union so wrong from the first moment and destined to end in heartache for all involved. Little did I know at the time the greatest heartache would fall upon the babe who would one day be the handsome and flawed man so many believe to be heartless.

Years go by in the Salvatore household, the only thing marking the passage of time are the elaborate celebrations Mary puts on for holidays and the birthday of Damon, her most adored child. The impish toddler has every member of the household wrapped around his chubby fingers and the twinkle of blue eyes produces more cookies than the grandest bakery. The sound of laughter fills the house and he is light personified on the darkest of days.

As long as the master isn't about.

Giuseppe travels a great deal for business and the beginning of each trip is marked by a collective sigh of relief. Footsteps are allowed to fall a bit heavier, voices can be raised in merriment, and the cherubic bundle of energy is no longer confined to the nursery. Bubbly giggles and found wildflowers are scattered throughout the hallways to be followed like breadcrumbs by an indulgent mother desperate to cling to happy times.

When the master returns it is as if the sun ducks into hiding behind the clouds. Mary does not wish to conceal her treasure in the nursery, but Guiseppe finds the smallest transgressions to rain harsh words upon his little head. But these are not nearly as harsh as the blows rained on Mary for interceding on her son's behalf. And intercede she does. Every time, knowing the night will bring retribution and her soft cry can be heard in the halls when the master returns to his room. I cry with her and curse the spell that leaves me powerless.

Only when Mary begins to increase with child a second time did the heavy hand lift. He would finally have fruit of his seed and we all hoped a new peace could be found. Maybe this child would heal some part of this obviously damaged man.

The night the new baby entered the world was marked by a heavy sense of foreboding in the air. The servants knew there was something wrong as Mary screamed in agony, begging for someone to make sure her child survived, regardless of the impact on her own life. The blood poured forth even faster than the agonizing howls before Guiseppe finally left to find a doctor, more concerned about the appearance of having a weak wife than the outcome of the delivery. No one seemed aware of the small form hiding under the table in the hallway listening to his mother fight for her life and the life of this new person he has already vowed to protect from their father.

A new cry joined in just as the mother lost the last of her strength to voice her own. The brooding brow was prominent from the moment he arrived and life would only gift him with more reasons to present it. The maid bundled Stefan in linens and took him out to meet the older brother still reeling from what he had heard. There was no point, they are presumed, in staying with a woman who would soon be a corpse, so there was no one to witness the newest servant girl, too new to have received her vervain amulet. She was easily compelled to travel back and forth to her true employer delivering news of household developments. The swish of a red wool riding cloak as it brushes against a doorway, followed by the heavy clomp of two booted henchmen, is the only sound heard beyond the ticking of the grandfather clock and the tears of Mary's boys.

"Bring her with us," Rebekah commanded. "There is still time."


	4. Chapter 4

REBEKAH

It has been several years since I saved the tragic figure in the alley. It had taken all of my restraint to keep Gabriel from flying out of the country inn to make his way back to his love. However, it was the appearance of the innkeeper that truly convinced him returning immediately to Mystic Falls was not wise. When the poor man knocked to inquire as to our need for some sustenance he had the misfortune of having had cut his hand earlier in the day. A fledgling vampire, hungry for the feed, is not always competent of his actions and Gabriel was horrified at how close he came to sucking the life from the aged man.

"This is why we must leave. I will teach you the proper ways of living with your newfound gifts. And burdens. When you are capable, you can go back to her and give her a life filled with eternal love and joy. It is a great gift you may entrust in her." I always took the approach it was terribly important for a maker to be responsible for their descendants. #Nik liked to tease me with a slight hint of scorn that this was the way I appeased my mothering instincts. He was probably not wrong.

The inconsolable man was not to be swayed. He accepted his fate and vowed to use his new powers for betterment, but he was still brainwashed by the Mystic Falls founding families and was sure Mary would despise him now on sight. It was a fate too heavy to bear, so although he would travel with me and discover the secrets to controlling the blood lust and channeling his energies, he was abandoning his dreams of a life with the girl with the musical laugh.

On the surface, I accepted his choice. There was no point in arguing with a man, well ever, but especially one in the deep throws of a guilty spiral. With a simple nod of my head I sat and began to explain how much larger his new world actually was, while already laying out a plan to send a spy into the (insert Mary's family name here) household to keep an eye on the happenings. When the time was right, I would help Gabriel reclaim his bride.

It was through this emissary I heard of her nuptials to the odious Giuseppe Salvatore and the birth of her first son. To many that would appear as an end to any dream of a reunion, but I had lived far too long to pay attention to these types of unions born of social climbing and manipulation. True love existed outside of pen and parchment; no legal document being able to contain or curtail it. I sent word that I was to receive regular updates on Mary and her progeny. I wished to hear all that occurred within the household. The missives I received were filled with stories of society balls and afternoon teas. The Salvatores appeared to have a dull, but not acrimonious marriage. I should have known a man of the times would not properly report a woman's mistreatment as anything out of the ordinary. It was what was done to train a wife, so no letter was ever sent to me of her pain.

In that time, Gabriel grew to be a magnificent creature. As a human, he had been handsome and charming, but as a vampire he was a demigod. Compulsion was rarely needed for him to get what he wanted and as the idealist he always was, he used it to help any he found in distress. I am sad to admit that this spoke to my own soft heart and my love for him turned from that of a guardian to one of a woman. But this man had no desire of the flesh for anyone. In his soul he was married to the girl he could never have and in the several years we were together he never once touched another.

I was just coming to the realization it was probably time for us to part ways here in New York City before I did something foolish to ruin our tenuous friendship, when I received what would become my final report from my thoughtless scout. This one was different from all the others as it included an experimental tintype; a picture of a young woman and a small boy. The second I saw him I knew he was Gabriel's son. In an instant I made plans to travel to Mystic Falls, my movements more urgent as I had seen with my keen eyes something humans would have missed. It was with the image of faint bruises ringing an ivory throat that I hastened my actions.

The moment I arrived in the area I knew from my human youth, I dispatched the incompetent spy in a most unpleasant manner and had a servant girl stationed in Salvatore Manor in his stead. It was she who came to me and told of the eminent arrival of another child. It was also she who found a way to slip my blood into her lady's daily tea.

My men carry Mary from her room as I ignore the copious blood and the tinkling sound of the locket she had clutched in her hand as it fell to the floor and rolled under the bed. We quickly make our way down the back steps, past servants who already have been compelled to tell a story of a mid-wife too eager to ease the pain of a family and so had taken the body already to the town undertaker for burial.

"Be gentle with her or I will wear your entrails like garters."

"But mum, why does yea want a rottin' corpse. Seems right odd."

I arch an imperious eyebrow and affect my most aristocratic air. "I wonder when it was I paid you to question my actions? Now move!"

I grab one of the horsemen who traveled with me as a supposed hired guard.

"I have decided I am in need of a new lady's maid. Ride ahead and have 3…no 4 girls awaiting me in my chambers at the next inn. Tell them they will all be paid for their time and their service to the cause."

I sit back in the carriage as we ride towards a new beginning, staring at the woman who had so enraptured my Gabriel's heart. No. He was never my Gabriel, but had always been hers. And with a harsh gasp, she came back to claim what was hers once more.

"Who…who are you? Where am I? Is this heaven?"

"I am Rebekah. No, little dove, this is not heaven, but I have come to take you to your angel."


	5. Chapter 5

MADELENA

The moment she walked through the door, I both loved and hated her in equal measure. If I had known then she would be the catalyst for all that my life would eventually bring me, I may have been more forgiving of my assessment. Others would have staked her immediately.

The years trudged along after Mary left the Salvatore family. There was no longer a counterbalance to the dour lord of the manor. Even the pinch-faced governesses who rotated through our ranks on a regular basis brought no Mary Poppinsesque sugar and spice. Any that showed even an inclining of motherly love towards the two boys, especially the one with the azure eyes, were summarily dismissed and replaced post haste by an even more unforgiving spinster.

Stefan seemed to take it all in stride, never having had a brighter past to compare it to and still having the unwavering admiration of his father. Damon did not fare as fine. He remembered well what it was like to be loved by a mother and had taken it upon himself to ensure Stefan never felt the wrath of their taciturn old man. Any time the younger Salvatore would engage in mischief, Damon found a way to take the blame for its outcome. The saddest aspect of this was it eventually led to Stefan believing Giuseppe's side; Damon was the bad brother and Stefan the good. Damon deserved all the ill that fell upon him. Even sadder was that Damon began to believe it himself.

And so it came to that moment when a girl with a brash laugh and bouncing curls graced our presence. She was imbued with more life than the rest of the town combined, the irony of which of course is that she was dead.

Katherine had arrived.

Damon was immediately determined to claim her and was quite stunned when a traditional courtship turned to bouts of insatiable love making. He was no virgin when he went to her bed, but she also was not as repressed as other women of that time. She freely took whatever pleasure she wanted and in return opened his eyes to the power of the flesh. He would use that tantalizing sexuality to his advantage for decades to come and for that I thank her as well. Things may have continued indefinitely in that manner until Katherine eventually turned Damon and then moved on to complete her seduction of his bother to join her in a very beautiful and sinful threesome, but a small civil disagreement between the states disrupted her plans. Although not gone for long, Damon's absence set in motion the events that lead us to today.

Damon returned from the war with an off-hand story of how he missed his family and allowed all to believe it was his shallow homesickness and lust for Katherine that made him a traitor to the cause. I was the only one who bore witness to his midnight treks up into the attic where he would sit with his mother's things when the nightmares awoke him. Able to see into people's dreams, I once slipped into Damon's to see what vexed him so and saw images of death and destruction that still haunt me; torn limbs, raped women, dead children, and all for the cause of keeping other humans as property. It was more than he could bare and he was willing to face whatever would befall him in order to no longer be a part of that travesty. It was understandable then why he fixated on Katherine with her sparkling eyes and wit. He needed that light to chase away his dark thoughts, not knowing the true darkness she would bring.

When he left, Damon was sure Katherine was in love with him and would be waiting eagerly for his return. A romantic at heart, he believed it was impossible for there to be more than one epic love and if she left the same, they would fall into each other's arms and face the world together. The discovery of her vampiric nature did nothing to disabuse him of that belief. It was even more beautiful in that they would have an eternity together. It is too bad that her true secret nature she kept hidden wasn't the blood lust one, but the very insecure girl on the run who had a plan A, B, C, and so on. It is just that for her, the plans had the names of men attached to them. Without Damon there to play the role of suitor, Stefan most ably stepped into the part. Stefan also bought into the idea of a singular epic love and I don't need to tell you all how spectacularly wrong they both turned out to be. No matter, because for once in his life Damon was not going to step aside and defer to his brother's happiness. This time, there was only a single-minded determination to get the girl.

I have been asked again and again who Katherine truly loved. I am not her, so I cannot say what was in her heart, but I am a skilled people watcher from all those centuries trapped and unable to interact or intervene. I would mention it is true that Katherine probably loved herself the most, but she loved both brothers in equal and different ways. Stefan spoke to her fairy tale desire to still be that innocent young girl, falling in love with the dashing prince, and living happily ever after. Damon was her cynical belief the entire world was nothing but a serious of traps to navigate and no matter what she did she would never be good enough. So she decided to have them both and try to appease both sides of herself.

It is why she made sure both brothers always had her blood in their system. For that selfish act, I forgive her everything. If not for her determination to have neither brother taken from her, Giuseppe would have been successful that night and killed both of his children as surely as he killed their mother. Instead, they met her fate. Little did they know it would now be possible to reunite with the one who could finally show them the true meaning of unconditional love. The only one who held all the possible pieces of the puzzle to unlock that secret was still trapped mute within the walls, unable to communicate. It would be nearly 150 years before I had my freedom and by then there was little point in re-opening old wounds. Or so I thought.

When word reached the Salvatore household, those of the staff who remembered the impish boy being chased by his doting mother and the more broody babe, took to finding quiet nooks to allow the tears to flow unbidden. The master and war could limit all commodities that entered the house but grief. That we had in abundance.

A single servant girl, one so like the many who came and went over the years, slipped away into town to post a letter to her true employer.

She penned a simple missive: "Mary's boys are dead."


	6. Chapter 6

REBEKAH

I had decided to wait until we had arrived at the inn before explaining to Mary about her new status as one of the "creatures of the night" her husband had always gone on about. I calmly told her, while looking her directly in the eyes of course, that I was a friend of the family who was taking her away from her horrible existence and her children would be joining her shortly. It wasn't as much of a lie as I believed, seeing that shortly to a vampire has a much different time span than to a human.

I also gifted her with the lovely bracelet I had acquired for her some time ago. You may ask why Gabriel had not purchased such an important ornament for the love of his life and the answer is simply that he was a fool. Even though several years had passed and Gabriel was warming to the role of vampire quite nicely, he did not believe it was his place to bring her over to the dark side, as it were. As you may recall, until that last fateful missive with tintype proof of her abuse, we both imagined Mary to be living a happy life. I was still romanticizing the human condition at the time, and thought her life must be idyllic; a husband who loved her, a close community, and children to bring her joy.

How does the old saying go? There's none so blind as those that will not see. I refused to see that the human condition was filled with as many lies and acts of evil as any of our kind. Gabriel was very much like me in that regard and it almost cost him Mary. I, however, also romanticized the idea of one true love and knew Mary to be Gabriel's, so in case he would ever have the opportunity to be with her again, I didn't wish for her to be consumed by the sun's flames before she could be consumed by passion's.

We arrived at the inn and with as little drama as possible I showed Mary her new nature. Her transition was made smooth through a judicious use of compulsion. I knew she would eventually need to come to terms with it on her own, but why not use all the tools you have at your disposal? The prospective lady's maids were compensated well for their services and donations to the cause and one actually was offered a job beyond human blood bag. With a new vampire and hire in tow, I set out to return to New York and a most vexed sire.

When I entered the main chamber of the penthouse, having left Mary in the servant's quarters until I could break the news gently, Gabriel was pacing the room and in a fury. He instantly grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me in anger laced with fear.

"Where were you? You disappear leaving only a note saying you'd return soon and no way to contact you? Have you gone mad? I was worried sick and took every measure to find you. Have you no idea what you mean to me? No. Of course not. I've never admitted my feelings to you. Maybe it's time you know the extent of my affection for you. No, it is much more than affection. It is…"

With this I bring my fingers to Gabriel's mouth. That beautiful mouth I had longed to kiss and have say such lovely words. In that moment I could have easily done away with Mary and lived my dream, had the life I had always longed for, and don't for a second think I didn't consider it. I wanted to be the selfish and self-centered spoiled brat my brother always made me out to be, and yet I couldn't do it. For once in my life I wanted to do the right thing, no matter how much it cost me.

And so I told my dark angel of my mission of mercy, leaving out some of the more gratuitous details so he did not take wing immediately for Mystic Falls to kill the only surviving parent of the two, young Salvatore brothers. None of the details mattered once I retrieved Mary and brought her to the parlor. Their reunion was exactly as I had envisioned it; breathtaking, loving, and painful beyond all measure. I slowly backed out of the room as tears and kisses were shared between the euphoric lovers and if I had an ounce of logic in my head I would have fled the house for good that evening. Instead I forced myself to listen to their rapturous lovemaking, ensuring I never again thought of Gabriel as mine.

The next morning I arouse and began to pack my bags in order to leave for…I had no idea where. I just needed to get out and away from the caring glances and furtive touches. A sound from the dining room catches my attention and I hustle down to make sure my ears have not deceived me and that voice is not that one who brings me so much joy along with misery. But there he sat, charm and dimples working overtime as he flirted with an entirely too oblivious Mary.

Nik.

I saw the animalistic interest he had in her the moment I walked through the door and what Nik wants Nik gets. I could see that all I had sacrificed to set in motion would be undone by a lilting accent and a penchant for mischief. It turns out that Gabriel in his desperation to find me, reached out to the man I had kept away from him, time and time again. Over our years together, Gabriel and I had occasionally traveled in the same areas my brother inhabited and I made it a point to check in with Nik. Alone. Because we did love each other despite our conflicts, Nik and I always knew how to find each other if ever the need would arise. Gabriel had used that information to invite the devil himself into his new found heaven.

I quickly worked to assuage any of Nik's concerns as to my health and happiness, giving a truncated version of the unfolding events that led us to today. With smug self-confidence, Nik imposed on Gabriel's good heart to allow him to stay and see for himself that his darling sister was well. There was nothing innocent about the way he looked at Mary as if she were the tastiest treat in a confectioner's window. Gabriel noticed it as well, but assumed he had no cares as Mary surely would never go willingly with Nik. My brother has never needed his victims to volunteer for their own downfall. He was more than willing to take without compunction.

After three days of suffering through the agony of not knowing when the viper would strike within our home, I went to Nik with an offer. One in which he had attempted to get me to agree to several times in prior years. I would join him in his travels and never again leave his side as long as we left that evening. I would be his constant companion or whatever else he would wish of me as long as he ignored his growing fondness for the raven-haired temptress.

And so we parted ways, I and my most favorite progeny. The last man I was sure would ever own my heart. Gabriel and Mary vowed to go to her children once they were both adults and could be made to understand and forgive what had happened with their mother. And in Damon's case, with his father. There was no way to bring children into a vampire's life and it was most logical to receive regular updates as to their upbringing and wait until the most fortuitous moment to tell them they had more parents to love them than they thought.

It was with this thinking that the years passed. I made sure never to cross paths with Gabriel and Mary, unsure if Nik would get it into his head to go after her again. I also received written updates in regards to the boys who soon were becoming handsome men. I was the one to hear first of their fate from my most loyal spy within the Salvatore household. How brief and how wrong four simple words could be.

Mary's boys are dead.

I didn't bother to check in with the now married couple, but the last I heard, they had fled to Europe in order to escape any memories of children they would never have a chance to know. I assumed it was for the best and hoped they would find some peace in their travels and decided that was the last I would ever hear the Salvatore name.

I never would have made a good clairvoyant.


	7. Chapter 7

AUTHOR NOTE - If you have followed me here from twitter then none of these chapters are much of a surprise. All of this story has been based on my RP and with that of several very talented people. The remaining chapters will follow along in that vein. Some characters are original, but many are still fully #TVD. I apologize if this was not what you were looking for in fanfiction, but I wanted to expand on the universe my family and I have created. I hope you are still reading along and enjoying.

MADELENA

"Hello, brother."

Two simple words that in their tone and cadence conveyed all that had come before. This was to be no happy homecoming. This was to be war.

In the years since the Salvatores took their place in the world of the undead, there were a number of different run-ins and confrontations that had over time molded the relationship Damon and Stefan maintained at this crossroad. It was one fraught with distrust, misplaced resentment and general incivility. Damon was here with an agenda, but Damon always had an agenda, hidden or otherwise, when it came to interactions with his brother. The sweet-faced boy so beloved by his mother was now a smirking monster who used arrogance and sexual prowess to cover up his own insecurities. Stefan, the babe who never knew a mother's love, was even more a monster, not only in that he killed uncontrollably when in the clutches of blood lust, but he had convinced himself he was the good guy. Denial runs strong in this family.

I had finally been freed from the confines of the boarding house walls where I had been trapped after the locket, but was relegated to the far corners of the attic. The tale of how this occurred was told elsewhere and is unimportant at this juncture, suffice it to say I had nowhere else I could go and neither Stefan nor Zach seemed to mind my presence. I was still the caretaker in a sense and found it quite peaceful to spend my new found limited freedom exploring the books and artifacts stowed away through decades of Stefan's pack ratting. It was from this perch I heard the violent confrontation that highlighted the reunion and raced to the window to look down upon the yard.

The moment I saw Damon in all his bad boy artifice, I was gone. I would soon be joined by several others all vying for his attention. He was no longer the sweet child who hid amongst his mother's skirts when Giuseppe's voice thundered through the manor, he was sex and sin in a leather jacket. He was also convinced of his love for another and I had no heart for being second best, a trait we actually shared.

I was sure to stay out of his way as he tangled with Stefan over the wisdom of freeing Katherine from her supposed tomb and the duo's joint obsession with the lovely, if disaster-prone Gilbert girl. I will admit to some mild amusement when she chose neither of them and skipped town to have a torrid love affair with Caroline. I must say the blow to their respective egos was a bit delicious and they soon embarked on separate journeys out of Mystic Falls. Or so I thought.

To say our first official meeting was inauspicious would be an insult to horrible meetings. I don't believe dumping a tray of ice cubes down someone's breeches is ever considered an appropriate greeting, and my mother would have fainted dead away at the thought, but he did insult my singing, a failing no woman should have to put up with. So I of course supplied the icy vengeance and he supplied the snark and inappropriate nudity.

I truly hadn't expected him to disrobe, but who was I to look such a gift horse in the mouth? It was also quite obvious he had used his sexuality as a weapon often enough in the past that he just assumed I would melt in a puddle at his feet to mix in with the melted ice cubes. I was not so easily swayed. Instead of leering, I laughed, not in mocking or cruelty, but in true light hearted joviality. I don't believe many had ever laughed with him out of amusement and he was quite amused by my story, as well. I was stunned to hear Stefan had never mentioned me. I truly believe Stefan meant only to keep me from harm when he kept knowledge of me from Damon; such distrust being the hallmark of their history.

We bonded over our love for bourbon, sexual innuendos and Alaric, three things we both agreed made life in Mystic Falls more palatable. Even though there was no denying I found him to be the most attractive man I'd seen in 500 years, I asked nothing of him nor judged him as lacking. Being locked in spirit form for 500 years gives one a bit of a perspective on long term obsessions and a desperate need for love. I told him it was time to let go of the past or be doomed to repeat it forever.

"It's over, Damon. Let it reside in the past and live in the now. Don't look back or you'll never see the wonder that's ahead."

We were not each other's first friends, but we may have been the first of the opposite sex where sex actually wasn't involved. At least, not at first. What? I never said I was a saint.

At this time Alaric was working with me to determine how I could move beyond the walls of the house. All of the research had turned up nothing and I was quite reluctant to approach the one person who could possibly hold a key to my prison. A Bennett witch had tied me to the House, so perhaps a Bennett witch could free me? It was possible, but from my position as unofficial Mystic Falls observer, everyone went to Bonnie for the slightest of needs with nary a thought as to the effect it would have on her. She was loyal to a fault, however, and would dive into whatever insane plot these often selfish friends would cobble together. I had watched time and again as this lovely young woman was used up and I would not be one more to assume her services were mine for the asking.

Of course humility and restraint are two terms that don't even have a passing familiarity with Damon Salvatore. I did not know it at the time, but when he approached her with the normal Salvatore swagger, she rejected him on sight, not wanting to be a part of any scheme that Damon was hatching as it had been her experience there was nothing altruistic about his endeavors. However, he surprised her. He plead the case for the girl who refused to ask for herself and together they were able to find the original locket my mother had bound my spirit to and set it back around my neck. Who knew my former gilded cage was the key to my release. It was buried deep within the catacombs of the boarding house and that is what had kept me from venturing out beyond its boundary.

I was tied once more to this bauble of silver filigree, yet somehow I was no longer imprisoned but freed. I was free to leave the house I had known as well as myself since the 1920s. Free to experience all the world had to offer. Free to go on my very first car ride with the top down and the wind in my hair. I was reminded of my days long ago when a similar breeze was felt on horseback in a rolling meadow. I finally allowed myself to cry for the lost love dead so many years, the little boy unaware of the family that may still exist somewhere, and for my own mother whose decision born from a twisted love had yielded to me centuries of torture.

The crying terrified Damon who would much rather confront a room full of werewolves than a single woman's tears, so he quickly pulled over near the falls to see if there was some way to console me. I was out in a flash and over the small strip of land separating the road from the water, diving in headfirst to wash away the years of regret. Echoes of another splash told me I was not alone in the still icy spray and soon strong arms surrounded me with support and words of comfort.

"It's OK now. You're free and you never have to live in the past again. Don't look back or you'll never see the wonder that's ahead."

With a smirk at the repetition of my own words, Damon Salvatore lowered his head to block out the sun and light up my world with a single kiss. This was the love I had always been seeking, yet had never truly known. I tell myself that it is these words that convinced me to keep the secret of what had happened to his mother inside. The truth is I was selfish and greedy, unknowing that this selfishness would be my undoing. And Damon's.


	8. Chapter 8

**REBEKAH**

Ever since Nik had met with Mary, Gabriel, and me lo those many years ago, I had decided to travel with him. There were several thoughts which went into that decision, not the least of which being the way he had gazed at Mary so intently on their introduction. I told myself it was to stave off any unwarranted advances he may make towards her, but there was a small part of me that was jealous of her for attracting the attention of both of the men so important to me. I also did need to put some distance between myself and Gabriel. It was the only way I was to get beyond my feelings for him and perhaps find a love of my own. Besides, few may have believed it, but Nik was a fabulous traveling companion when he wished to be. Charming and knowledgeable, each destination could hold adventure while he flashed his dimpled grin. That version of Nik was the one I embraced and most of our years were quite enjoyable as they flew by. Yes, even for an immortal it can seem as if time slips through your fingers if you have the right partner to share it with and Nik and I were more alike than I often wished to admit.

By pure happenstance we all arrived in Paris after the turn of the 21st century. Paris had always held a special place in my heart and as a pair of undying romantics, Mary and Gabriel gravitated to it as well. Nik always made it a point to be aware of the supernatural activity in any city we entered and it was with great joy, but a bit of misapprehension, the four of us agreed to meet up for drinks of a less plasmic nature. They came to our hotel suite bearing a gift of a sort. It seems in my hurry to pull Nik away from the most alluring Mary, I had left behind several articles they believed I would like to have again.

Besides the normal detritus that can be found in a woman's trousseau – silver hair brush, diamond hat pins, embroidered handkerchiefs – there were also my diaries. I rolled my eyes imagining the dramatic lamentations they would hold and put the entire parcel aside to be combed through later. We had the City of Lights to explore together and a never-ending supply of money to do it with. I still cannot reconcile the beginnings of those weeks with how they ended.

I had spent several days in the company of Mary and Gabriel, it being my own folly to not realize the kinds of mischief Nik would get himself into if left to his own devices. I was returning from a particularly long picnic to discover my brother draped across my bed and reading aloud from the very writings I had forgotten were included in the box brought to me.

"My heart yearns for him with an ache even more deeply felt than a dagger."

Nik laugh with an almost giddy air before moving onto even more salacious parts.

"I have never lain with him and yet the other men I bring to my bed as a proxy for his touch still manage to fall short of Gabriel."

With a snort of derision, he looks up at me. "Oh, Bekah love, how could you have seriously written this? It is worse than the purple prose of that horrible romance novelist we ate in Prague. I'm almost embarrassed to call you kin!"

I fly across the room and grapple with him for the humiliating record of my unrequited love, but I have never been a match for Nik physically, soon finding myself pinned between his broad chest and the mattress.

"I never knew you were so infatuated with him, Bekah. I could see there was an attraction, but you speak here as if he was the love of your life that got away."

"That's because he was, Niklaus! I loved him as I have never loved another. I still love him!"

He freezes above me, seeing something in my visage that tells him I am speaking the truth and his hold on my wrists softens slightly.

"I know I am a fool, so there is no point in you saying it. He will always love Mary and any affection I may have for him is pointless, but I cannot do battle with my own heart, Nik. It wants what it wants."

Nik brings his hand up to brush away the tears I had not even realized were falling. "I am very sorry, Rebekah. I had no idea you cared this deeply. I can see that he cares for you as well. It is apparent in the way he speaks to you and the soft glances whenever you in the room."

"Yes, he cares for me, without a doubt. However, he loves Mary alone and there is no way I can compete with her for his devotion. It will always be Mary."

With those words I would later realize, I had set in motion a series of events that would culminate in a more painful loss than Gabriel's love.

More days passed until Nik proclaimed we should have a formal dinner in our suite before we all went our separate ways. It seemed an innocent enough request and I took great pride in organizing an elaborate feast for my best friends. I wanted them to remember me fondly as I had no intention of running into them again if it could be avoided. The previous weeks reminded me of how it felt to be second choice all over and I did not wish to repeat it as a Sisyphean curse every hundred years.

Just prior to the food being served while Gabriel and I argued over the perfect wine selection, Nik invited Mary out onto the veranda to see the lights, pointing out rightfully our amazing view. Not really finding it odd, just knowing how my brother still found Mary attractive, I decided to follow them out a moment later. I arrived in time to see Nik pulling something out of his jacket pocket and an urge caused me to act on instinct. I was out on the veranda and pushing Mary aside a second before the wooden stake plunged deep into my back, a blow that would have easily pierced Mary's heart. Acting on sheer adrenaline, I was able to remove it and through it over the railing before looking up at my calculating sibling.

The commotion had brought Gabriel running outside to determine what the bloody hell was going on. The scene he stumbled into was not hard to decipher; Mary lying thrown to the side, me collapsed in a heap with a bleeding wound, and my brother hovering over the two of us in a rage at being thwarted.

"What the hell are you doing, Klaus?" A question born out of disbelief over what Gabriel was seeing and not necessary ignorance. Before this could devolve into even more bloodshed and tragedy, I pulled myself to my feet and stood between the alpha male and the archangel.

"I think it is quite obvious what almost happened here and I cannot even fathom what you were thinking, Nik! You know they are my friends and yet you attempt to end the one? Was Gabriel next? Were you that jealous of the attention they received from me this week that you wished to ensure I could never ignore you again? Did you think I could continue to be your traveling partner after murdering the only two people to ever unselfishly befriend me?!"

"I was doing this for you! You may lie to yourself, little sister, but you can never lie to me. I know you've dreamt of having her gone a thousand times over the years and harbored deep regret that you ever saved her! If you had just left her to bleed out on that birthing bed, you could have had the life you desired!"

A silence permeates the room as Mary and Gabriel attempt to suss out the meaning of Nik's words, the intention of which sank in for me immediately. I didn't know whether to continue on in my fury or be at least a little complimented that my brother determined the only thing keeping Gabriel from falling at my feet in amorous adulation was the existence of Mary. Nik would never understand the complexities of love no matter how deeply he felt it himself. We were all chess pieces to be positioned at his whim, performing in our proscribed manner. It always shocked him when people refused to cooperate in his machinations.

"Leave us, please. My brother and I have some closing words for each other."

With a final look of concern for my safety, Mary and Gabriel reluctantly leave me with the only man to hurt me more emotionally than Gabriel ever did. It almost made me laugh that they believed a physical blow was the worst Nik could do to me.

"We cannot go on like this, Nik. Clawing and tearing at each other and then conversely lashing out at innocent bystanders in an attempt to buy peace for the other. Serenity cannot be bought thusly and it needs to stop here. Today. It is time we went our separate ways. I don't believe we will ever cease inflicting torment if we continue down this path."

"So you would choose them, two people you barely know in comparison, over me, your own blood? He will never love you like you wish to be loved."

"And neither can you, Nik. It's time for us to move on. I need to begin a life without you and see if there can be happiness for me out there somewhere."

A slow, cynical smile begins to spread across his face, never quite reaching the darkness of his eyes. I have seen that look before and a chill courses through my veins even prior to him pulling out my well-worn diary from inside his breast pocket.

"Family above all, dearest sistah." He gestured with the spine towards the door through which my only friends had exited. "Words I thought you understood will now have new meaning for them in there. This I vow."

My mind raced to remember what else I had transcribed upon its pages to inspire my brother, my longest mutual obsession, to his next act of vengeance. I would find out soon enough.


	9. Chapter 9

**KLAUS**

It took me very little time to acquire and convert the two mangy hybrids currently occupying the backseat of my car. I would be forever grateful to one Katerina Petrova for sacrificing herself willingly in my pursuit of reaching my full werewolf/vampire potential. Willingly may be stretching the truth a bit, but she served her purpose and no amount of whining from Elijah had deterred me from my course. Eventually he was able to turn her against my wishes, thus taking away my supply of doppelganger blood. Just another familial betrayal. These two loyal sires would be my insurance that Stefan Salvatore did not slip away from me once I tracked him down in Mystic Falls.

My eyes glance over at the book lying on the seat beside me. So Mary was the mother of the man I had met in the 20's? Amazingly enough, she had no idea that the son who caused her to lose her grip on her human life still lived, in a sense. I held lingering regrets that the friendship I struck up with the "Rippah" had been cut short by Bekah and me fleeing from our father. Her father, since I shared no blood ties with the man. He was still obsessed with putting me down like a rabid dog even though I had been able to lift the spell which kept me from accessing both sides of my nature. He only saw us all as abominations and not as the family we were supposed to be.

Family.

Bekah was my family and the one most loyal to me over the years and now she had been turned from me by those common Salvatores. I was her blood! I was the one who traveled through these centuries with her and knew her better than any latecomers to our world! My fist struck the steering wheel, I'm sure causing the two imbeciles in the back to flinch in fear. At least in their acknowledgement of my alpha status they showed themselves not to be completely moronic. The nature of my retribution had a poetic appeal to me; the symmetry was delicious.

An eye for an eye.

A tooth for a tooth.

Blood for blood.

A son for a sister.

It was these thoughts occupying my mind when I pulled up to the Salvatore Boarding House. It was easy enough to track down Stefan's home once I had the information about Mystic Falls contained in Bekah's diary. I would simply compel the information on Stefan's whereabouts from whatever caretaker currently resided and be on my way. Just in case I was lucky enough to find my target in residence, I sent my two minions to circle the property and allow no one to exit without my permission. Stefan would not be able to scamper off like the rabbits he for some reason chose to occasionally partake in.

My simple knock brought a vivacious red-haired girl to the threshold and I decided my undertaking had just gotten more delicious, indeed.

"Well hello, sweetheart. Might you know where I could find Stefan Salvatore? I am an old friend of his and thought I would look him up while I'm in town to see if he'd care to join me for a bite to eat."

"So how old of a friend are you talking? Current day Mopey Stefan? Civil War Golden Son Stefan? Or something in between from his I am Going to Embrace my Inner Demon and Tear Apart People from Coast-to-Coast Stefan? The answer to that will enlighten me as to what information I am willing to give to you. It'll also inform whether I invite you in or not."

She props a hip against the frame and crosses her arms as if a vampire showing up at her door is an everyday occurrence. Since she obviously knows of the family history, I would need to be more forward in my approach. I decide to skip directly into compulsion. I lean in slightly and focus on the pupils in her eyes, voice lowered and an edge which broaches no disagreement in my voice.

"You will tell me where I can find…"

"Look. I'm going to stop you right there. I cannot be compelled and no, you cannot bleed the vervain from me as I'm not on it. So cut the bullshit. Should I just call my husband now to deal with you, or shall we dance some more? I am sure Damon would love to meet his brother's friend."

Interesting. This female had moxie and was definitely not a vampire, but what the hell was she? Possibly a witch of some sort and I was very adept at working on their weaknesses. I changed tactics immediately and tried a different approach. It was only then that her words hit me and a broad grin spread across my face, highlighting the dimples which seemed to please so many of her sex. Damon Salvatore, the blood progeny of both Mary and Gabriel lived and was here for the taking. This revenge just got ever so much sweeter. I decided to invoke a name Stefan had given me which may instill a bit of trust.

"I'm terribly sorry, love. I don't know where my manners have gone. Lexi has always told me I resort too quickly to brute force when a bit of diplomacy would serve me better. I am Nik."

"Lexi? You know Lexi? Well, why didn't you say so? I may not agree with her methods, but she is a true friend to Stefan. Come on in while I call Damon. DAMON ETERNAL STUD SALVATORE! WE HAVE COMPANY! Put on some pants and at least a semblance of manners."

She turns back to me with a cheeky grin and a flutter of eyelashes and I try to decide how slowly I wish to drain her once I deal with the elder Salvatore, who is apparently her husband. Why do vampires insist on tying themselves to humans who come with an expiration date? If he was smart he would have turned this one already and locked her into the shape she was in now. Too late for that, as I intended for no one to leave this living room alive. Or undead. I can hear her strong heartbeat and smell her intoxicating scent. It would be a pleasure to consume her.

My attention is taken by the appearance of a man who I assume is Damon Salvatore, loving and very protective husband by the looks of him. He instantly places himself slightly in front of his wife in a show of dominance she must have seen many times if the indulgent eye-roll is any indication.

"Damon, I would like to introduce you to Nik, Stefan's friend. And where are my manners? I am Madelena or Maddie to friend, foe, and family. How did you say you knew Stefan?"

Damon remains quiet through this exchange, eyes narrowed to a slit in observance of the creature he recognizes as a predator in his home. Since there is no point in prolonging this little exchange, I get right to my point. I have a plane to catch back to Paris and a prodigal son to return to the loving arms of his mother to watch him die.

"I didn't, actually. Shame you are so quick to invite strangers into your fine home, love, but quite a boon to me. I guess I should have introduced myself more fully the name is Niklaus Mikaelson. Perhaps you've heard of me?"

I can see in that moment Stefan has shared our exploits with his kin. The warm persona of Mrs. Salvatore cools quite quickly and the air crackles with a strange electricity. I watch as Damon reaches back to place a calming hand on her shoulder and my head tilts to witness such an odd act of a vampire seeming to restrain a mortal. He speaks with a bored air that belies the obvious tension coiled within him.

"Get to the point, Wolfman Vlad. What brings nature's worst hybrid to our little town?"

"Not being one fond of exposition, I'll get right to the point of my visit. I see you know who and what I am so that makes things much more convenient. You also should know that I have posted one of my men at the front and back of the house to deter you from deciding to exit this little tea party before the desserts are served. I came here to exact a little revenge on the Salvatore bloodline, but since the original, heh, focus of my intent is not present, you will do in a pinch Damon. If you know anything of vampire physiology, you know that a werewolf bite is fatal, but it isn't a quick death. It is slow, painful, and about the length of an oceanic flight, as you are soon to discover. I plan on laying you at the feet of those stupid enough to defy me so they may watch you die. Shall we get on with it?"

In the blink of an eye I am on Damon and biting into his shoulder, but just as quickly I am thrown across the room and hitting the wall with enough force to stun me. I look up from where I crumpled to the floor to see Madelena standing in front of her injured husband, hands blazing with light and a ferocious look of protection that I could almost admire if she were not in the way of me getting what I want. I am too angered for the reality of the situation to sink in.

"Get out of my way, Maddie. No witch will deter me."

"Go ahead, Nik, since we're being all friendly like. Are there many witches able to knock you on your ass? What I am may not be able to kill you, but I can hurt you enough that you wish for death."

It is then that I realize my mistake in writing her off as no threat. She is of a species I swore was more myth than material. I should have known there was a reason the deferential stories were written of her kind. I nod my head with a mild show of respect and acknowledgement that things have just gotten more interesting.

"So the fae do exist. Marvelous!"


	10. Chapter 10

**MADELENA**

"So the fae do exist. Marvelous!"

His words inform me that he knows what I am and we can skip the senseless threats back and forth, which is good because I'm not sure I can bluff well enough to convince this man to get out of the house. Truth is, I could easily do a great deal of damage to the charming demon, but it would drain me of all the energy I need to heal my husband who I now hover over in a protective stance. His health had to be my first priority, but I could do nothing until Niklaus was out the door.

"You know what I am and you should know the stories are all true of my kind, just as they were true of yours. Leave now and we shall have no further quarrel. Stay and I will prove I can dispense justice in the swiftest and most convincing manner."

I smile sweetly without a hint of warmth melting the ice in my voice. My words must have been enough because Niklaus leans around me before flipping out his phone and taking a picture of Damon prone on the floor.

"I think this may be proof enough for my sister that I am not one to take being rebuked lightly. Even from her. Be sure to tell your husband all the ways you love him, like I've told my Rebekah. It makes the parting so much more romantically tragic. Good evening, Mrs. Salvatore."

I wait for a moment for Niklaus to have left the house before rushing to the door and placing my hands on the frame.

"I revoke access to the house for Niklaus Mikaelson."

A small amount of magic to hopefully seal the spell and I am back on the floor with Damon, my hand ripping open his shirt completely to see the bite. I set my palm on top while allowing my light to course through me and race towards the wound. After a few seconds, I remove my hand to see the wound almost completely gone, but still festering beneath the surface.

"No no no no no. This is impossible. I gave you plenty enough to heal you!"

"Babe, if your fairy mojo isn't enough to zap the werewolf rabies from me, we may be in slightly more danger than either of us wants to admit. Think maybe we should call in some reinforcements?"

"Yes! My love, you are brilliant!" I bring Damon up to kiss him quickly, noticing the wince of pain. Laying him back down gently, I place a call to the one person who has devoted his lifetime to the research of supernatural lore - Alaric. I fill him in on the situation and ask him to come over right away with the information that will surely alleviate any of my growing worries and tell us how I can secure my husband's immortality.

It is a few hours later that I find myself out on the porch, pondering the secret I have maintained all these years. Alaric told us of two cures for a werewolf bite. The first was cosmically perfect in a million ways. The blood of a hybrid was a swift method for counteracting the toxin. Seeing as how it was the hybrid who bit Damon, that seemed unlikely to be the answer.

The other option was even more cruel. It seems that the blood of a parent could also keep the poison from wreaking havoc. A simple sip from mother or father, a gift of pure love, was one of the greatest sources of magic known. Damon and Alaric simply dismissed that one as well, since both of his parents were long since dead. I excused myself to the porch as the realization the secret I had kept for so long could come out now. I had never told Damon of how I witnessed his mother being taken the night of Stefan's birth. The compelled chambermaid told the story to Giuseppe of a footman taking Mary's body to the undertaker. A closed coffin, empty but of enough random ballast to mimic the weight of a body inside, was lowered into the ground.

I knew the blonde woman had been a vampire. I could always sense the supernatural in whatever form they took and thus assumed Mary was soon to have that nature as well. If so, I never understood why she didn't come back for her children. Why had she abandoned them so callously? There must be a very good reason based on how I had witnessed her love for her first son, but there was no way Damon would believe that. He would only see it as one more person rejecting him and that I would not allow.

And so here I sit. Burdened with knowledge and a love that consumes me. Waiting for the answer to come.

And come it does. There is no way I can place another burden on Damon's heart when it could be one of the last things he knows. Besides, where would I even begin to look for Mary? Who was to say she was even still alive? If she was, the vast world lay before me and I had not the time to scour it. I would go to Niklaus and make an offer that would hopefully prove to be too tempting to turn down. Damon would never forgive me this, but I had no choice. I would prefer an eternity of his existence hating me, than even a moment with him dead.

I returned to the house to find Damon in a slumber and Alaric bent over a whiskey bottle, the faint trace of tears on his scruffy cheek. He looks at me quizzically when I say I have to go and would he watch over Damon in my absence. I don't linger to give any details, but fly out of the house and head towards the only decent hotel in Mystic Falls. If you were an immortal god, would you stay at a Motel 8? As I predicted, a little bit of flattery and a flash of cleavage got me the room number I needed and I soon found myself outside the door that may lead to my own damnation. Yet I didn't hesitate to knock. There was nothing to second guess.

"Well isn't this a most foreseeable surprise? Tell me, was it the accent or the dimples that drew you back to me? Already looking for a replacement vampire to feed your needs once this one waltzes off this mortal coil, in a manner of speaking?"

I bristle at even the insinuation that I would so easily move on from the man who I value more than my own life. However, now is not the time to get into a war of words with a man who has had a millenium to sharpen his tongue on a plethora of worthy opponents.

"I have come to make you an offer, Mr. Mikaelson. In exchange for healing my husband I will give you the only thing I possess of any value. Me."

"If I wished for a bedmate, I could easily procure one at that nasty Grill in the center of town. I'm sure you're quite talented and you must taste like ambrosia, but I have a sister who has chosen her friends over me and that is a slight I don't get over with a single fuck."

"You have received a taste of what my magic can do and I am willing to offer you a taste as to what my blood can make you feel, but there is more that I can offer. It is quite obvious you have a particular focus on familial relations. I can help you extend that. I can give you a child."

"Hasn't your husband let you in on a little secret, love? Vampires cannot procreate, but we sure love to try."

"No, vampires can't procreate with humans, except I am not human. Although it is considered a grave sin in my culture to dilute our bloodlines, we have been granted the gift of fecundity with any other supernatural creature. You could have a genetic child as opposed to those vile hybrid progeny that could never match your greatness. Imagine the possibilities. You give my husband your blood and I give you my womb."

Cold blue eyes widen as I finish my offer before walking over to the desk beside me and picking up a photo. A single finger seems to caress the image tenderly before Niklaus resumes speaking to me.

"My sister had a strange notion in her head for the longest time about wishing to be human again. She wanted children to raise and coddle in ways we weren't. A niece or nephew would bind her to me more strongly than any form of revenge, it's true. How do I know I won't discover you are barren or this all is a ruse to get your cure?"

"There is a witch by the name of Bonnie Bennett in town. She could easily be able to determine my fertility. As you know, it is one of the gifts of being a witch. I would like two weeks to say goodbye to my husband. It is as long as I can keep him alive using only my magic. In that time I'm sure you could find out the truth of my words from any who know of the fae. You are a clever man."

He places the picture down on the desk and moves over to the window, a most pensive figure who I am sure isn't look out at the view of our pretty town. As he mulls over his reply, I move to the desk for a glimpse of the sister whose actions have precipitated this mess. As I get my first look at golden hair, my heart stops.

My god...it is her! The woman who in the dead of night made off with Mary Salvatore! That mystery woman may hold the key to saving my husband and my soul! I can barely wrap my head around it when I hear Niklaus begin to speak once more. I surreptitiously stuff the picture in my pants pocket to take with me.

"Very well. Two weeks in which to say your goodbyes, either to Damon's life or your old one while I determine if what you say is true. I warn you, Madelena. I do not wish to add to my list of those who have earned retribution, especially not one as lovely as you, but I will place you there in a moment if you are lying."

"Of course! Do whatever you must! Two weeks!"

I make a hasty retreat from the room and drive back to the Boarding House in a blur of speed and hope. Running into the living room, I grab the glass from Alaric's hand and shove the picture over to replace it.

"Do you see this woman, Ric? She is Rebekah Mikaelson, Niklaus's sister who he came here seeking vengeance against. She is the very answer to our prayers. Sit down as I tell you the story of a mother and her true fate 150 years ago."

As Ric listens to my tale, I think of the sign I saw in the background of what appeared to be a very recent photo - Hôtel Meurice. I was about to send Ric to Paris to retrieve our most lethal weapon against the Original Hybrid.


End file.
